Reflecting on My Internship Experience in Milan

Now that I’ve completed my four-month IES Abroad program in Milan, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my internship experience and wanted to share some honest thoughts about it.

To summarize my feelings simply:
I do not regret doing an internship in Milan at all. However, if I could go back, I think I might make a different choice depending on where I was in my career at the time.

One thing that’s important to understand about IES internships is that they are unpaid positions, often at smaller companies or startups.

If my internship had counted toward academic credit at my home university, I honestly would not have had any complaints about working unpaid at a startup. I think that kind of experience can be extremely valuable during university.

However, credit recognition policies differ depending on each student’s university situation. In my case, I had already completed all of my graduation requirements before leaving for Milan, so I was not able to receive additional academic credit for the internship.

Because of that, I found myself thinking realistically about where I was in my career progression.

Right before coming to Milan, I had already completed a paid internship at a public corporation in Korea. Looking back, I sometimes wonder whether it might have made more sense for me to spend that semester applying for longer-term paid internships or conversion-track internships connected more directly to full-time employment opportunities.

That does not mean I was dissatisfied with the IES internship itself.

I genuinely enjoyed the experience of working in Milan. Adapting to a different office culture, communicating in an international environment, and learning how workplaces operate in another country were all meaningful experiences for me personally.

But when I think strictly in terms of long-term career strategy, I realized that the value of this kind of internship depends heavily on where you currently are in your professional journey.

Because of this, I personally feel that the IES internship program is especially well suited for:

• students who have little or no previous internship experience,
• students still actively completing coursework,
• or students who want an opportunity to explore potential career directions before fully entering the job market.

For those students, an international internship at a startup can be a very valuable way to test interests, build confidence, and gain professional experience in a global setting.

So if you’re currently considering an internship through IES Abroad, I think the most important question to ask yourself is not simply “Do I want to intern abroad?” but rather:

“At my current stage, will this opportunity help move my career forward in the direction I want?”

I think the answer to that question can look very different depending on the student — and that’s completely okay.